We spent more than a decade trying to remove variability among coaches and standardize the classroom experience. We wanted to be like a fast-food chain, creating uniform products and service experiences. However, we have individual employees with varying personalities and work styles, who deal with children with very different learning styles and needs. We hire employees who are passionate about their students and their progress. They prefer autonomy over micromanagement and are more likely to quit a job they don't enjoy, especially after COVID lockdowns.
We are happy to report that we gave that up after failing repeatedly.
Instead we developed a simple system: parents regularly review their child’s progress and rate the coaches. Typically, people only review a product or service if they are extremely happy or unhappy, which is why we based our Coach Tiers on the number of five-star reviews.
The number of five-star reviews from parents like you is a decent predictor of the experiences other parents have had and what you can expect. It’s also transparent; you can read reviews left by other parents. Your own BS detector and parental intuition will allow you to figure out if the coach will be ideal for your child.
For the coaches, these reviews directly impact their compensation. It’s a simple and effective system that incentivizes both coaches and parents. Coaches know that earning five-star reviews will result in higher financial rewards, which motivates them to perform at their best.
As a parent, you will pay slightly more for a higher-tier coach. It’s a small price for the higher likelihood that the coach will be ideal for your child. The additional cost is $2.50 more per class for a Gold Coach and $5 more per class for a Platinum Coach. This investment is a good predictor of your child’s learning experience.
Is it a perfect system? We readily admit it’s not. Here are the flaws:
- Coaches with more classes will statistically have more reviews. They also gain more experience and see a wider variety of children and learning styles.
- Extroverted coaches, who are great at parent relations, will have higher reviews.
- Introverted coaches, who may be really good at what they do, may have fewer reviews.
However, this system gives our coaches more autonomy, allows them to develop their own teaching styles, and offers higher financial rewards that no other learning or tutoring company can match. As a result, we have higher caliber staff. Post-COVID, while our competitors suffer from higher employee turnover and lower customer satisfaction, we are experiencing very low employee turnover and much higher parent satisfaction.
By embracing the individuality of our coaches and leveraging parent feedback, we’ve created a dynamic and effective coaching system that benefits everyone involved.
